Korea AI Act
Framework Act on AI Development and Establishment of Trust (Law No. 20676)
First comprehensive AI legislation in Asia-Pacific and second in the world after EU. Regulates "High-Impact AI" in healthcare, energy, nuclear, transport, government, and education sectors. Requires transparency notifications, content labeling for generative AI, and fundamental rights impact assessments. Notable for lower penalties than EU AI Act and absence of prohibited AI practices.
Jurisdiction
South Korea
Enacted
Jan 21, 2025
Effective
Jan 22, 2026
Enforcement
Ministry of Science and ICT
Passed Dec 26, 2024; promulgated Jan 21, 2025
CSET TranslationWhy It Matters
First comprehensive AI law in APAC, effective January 22, 2026. Foreign companies above user/revenue thresholds must designate Korean representative. Lower penalty cap than EU (KRW 30M vs billions) but establishes regional precedent. Enforcement Decree published September 2025 with grace period for initial compliance.
Recent Developments
An amendment to the Framework Act and a corresponding amendment to its Enforcement Decree, which passed the State Council on July 14, 2026, both took effect on July 21, 2026. The amendments specify the mandatory labelling obligations for generative AI outputs and the confirmation and management system for high-impact AI under Articles 33 to 35. The Ministry of Science and ICT has said it will run a guidance period of at least one year, during which it will gather industry feedback and develop guidelines on high-impact AI use cases and generative AI labelling methods before enforcing in earnest.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- AI developers and deployers
- Foreign companies above user/revenue thresholds
Safety Provisions
- High-Impact AI regulation in critical sectors (healthcare, energy, nuclear, transport, government, education)
- Mandatory advance notification to users of high-impact or generative AI
- Labeling requirements for AI-generated content (images, text, video)
- Fundamental rights impact assessment before deployment
- Risk management and human oversight requirements
- Foreign company domestic representative requirement above thresholds
- AI Safety Institute established under MSIT
- No prohibited AI practices (unlike EU AI Act)
Exemptions
National Defense and Security Exemption
AI developed exclusively for national defense or security purposes is exempt from the Act
- • AI used exclusively for national defense
- • AI used exclusively for security purposes
Compliance & Enforcement
Key Dates
Jan 22, 2026
All provisions take effect after one-year transition period
Penalties
KRW 30M; criminal (up to 3yr)
View on map
South Korea
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
South Korea. (2025). Framework Act on AI Development and Establishment of Trust (Law No. 20676).
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Last updated July 26, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.